Beasts and Gods: How Democracy Changed Its Meaning and Lost Its Purpose

Democracy is sold to us on its ability to deliver equal opportunity, and to give every citizen an equal voice. Yet time and again we see that this is not the case: power and spoils alike flow to the few, while the many are left with no recourse. What is wrong with democracy? Nothing, says Roslyn Fuller: what we have simply isn’t democracy – it is a perversion of it, created by poorly designed electoral systems, weak campaign laws, and broad limitations on participation and representation at nearly every level.

Backing her argument with copious empirical data analyzing a wide variety of voting methods across twenty nations, Fuller makes her conclusion irrefutable: if we want true democracy, we have to return to the philosophical insights that originally underpinned it, and thoroughly re-examine the goals and methods of democracy and democratic participation. A radical, damning, yet at the same time fiercely hopeful work, Beasts and Gods aims to reconfigure the very foundations of modern society.

Reviews:

‘Beasts and Gods provides a fascinating contrast between democracy in theory and democracy in practice. It deconstructs the assumptions underlying representative democracy, and debunks the fiction that modern elections are “free and fair.” ‘

Marjorie Cohn
Thomas Jefferson School of Law

‘This is the inside story of the slow death of democracy – a loss of power for ordinary people which is occurring almost without comment and, even more worrying, without real protest.’

Biehler on International Law: An Irish Perspective

The first of its kind in Ireland, this textbook is designed to cover all major topics of international law from an Irish perspective.
Ireland’s relationship with international law is important both in terms of the nation’s past and its future. Irish independence and neutrality have been first and foremost defined by international law, while a thorough understanding of international humanitarian and human rights law has become essential knowledge for any serious student or practitioner.

This textbook — now in its second edition — provides an accessible and practical guide to all of these areas, as well as international procedure, maritime law, the use of force and state responsibility. With its up-to-date, comprehensive analysis of the most relevant Irish and international cases, it is ideal for self-study as well as the perfect companion for any course on international law taught in Ireland.

Biehler on International Law: An Irish Perspective is available in book stores across Ireland and at Roundhall.

Dublin: Ten Journeys, One Destination

Dublin: Ten Journeys, One Destination is a collection of short stories about Dublin by Irish authors as well as authors of other nationalities who have made Ireland their home. It aims to show the city of Dublin from many different views and how the same place can mean different things to different people. From the familiar to the fantastic (and the fantastically familiar) it is an eclectic mix of prose and passion, vision and vice, insight and intellect.
A founding member of the Irish Writers’ Exchange, Roslyn both edited the collection and provided a chapter from her forthcoming novel Cult.

In 2011, Dublin: Ten Journeys, One Destination won the MAMA Media and Multicultural Award for its contribution to both multiculturalism and literature in Ireland.

Dublin: Ten Journeys, One Destination has mostly sold out but some copies remain on Amazon.co.uk

Isak

Written while Roslyn was studying for her first bar exam in Germany, fiction novel ISAK is an allegory on the subject of international terrorism written as a sci-fi novel. The novel has mainly sold in Germany where it was originally published and a review is available here (German).

Today’s discussion about the causes and effects of terrorism – transferred to a world of the future. The encounter of two very different characters, one a terrorist, the other a bureaucrat – the one ruthless yet likeable, the other distant yet thoughtful. A fast-paced pursuit across the galaxy, which shall lead both to the boundaries of their convictions. An impressionist journey through one of the most controversial issues of all time which leaves all questions open yet answers all of them.